which he saw in profile, he
could not fail to note that her lips were tightly set and that there was
an unwonted look of determination round her mouth. He drew in his
breath, for he was quite ready for a second conflict of will to-day,
nor, this time, was the issue for a moment in doubt in his mind. Women
were made to obey--their parents first and then their husbands. In this
case Bela knew well enough that his authority was fully backed by that
of Elsa's mother--the invalid father, of course, didn't count, but Kapus
Irma wanted that house on the Kender Road, she wanted the servant and
the oxen, the chickens and the pigs, she wanted all the ease and the
luxury which her rich son-in-law would give her.

No! There was no fear that Elsa would break her tokened word. In this
semi-Oriental land, where semi-Oriental thought prevails, girls do not
do that sort of thing--if they do, it is to their own hurt, and Elsa was
not of the stuff of which rebellious or perjured women are made.

Therefore Bela now had neither fear nor compunction in asserting that
authority which would be his to the full to-morrow. He felt that there
was a vein of rebellion in Elsa's character, and this he meant to drain
and to staunch till it had withered to nothingness. It would never do
for him--of all men--to have a rebellious or argumentative wife.

"Well, then, that's settled," he said, with absolute finality, "you can
go and talk to your precious friends as much as you like, so long as you
behave yourself as a tokened bride should, but I will not have you dance
that abominable csardas again to-night."

"And have you behaved to-day, Bela," she retorted quite gently, "as a
tokened bridegroom should?"

"That's nothing to do with it," he replied, with a harsh laugh. "I am a
man, and you are a girl, and even the most ignorant Hungarian peasant
will tell you that there is a vast difference there. But I am not going
to argue about it with you, my dear. I merely forbid you to dance a
dance which I consider indecent. That's all."

"And I am sorry, Bela," she said, speaking at least as firmly as he did,
"but I have given my promise, and even you would not wish me to break my
word."

"You mean to disobey me, then?" he asked.

"Certainly not after to-morrow. To-day I have my mother's permission,
and I am going to dance one csardas now with Feher Karoly and one after
supper again with Jeno."

They had both unconsciously raised their voices during the